Drain valve



Jan, 13. 1925.

C. A. DUGGER DRA I N VALV E Filed May 22, 1925 A d ww .w .a

Patented Jan. 13, 1925,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLIFFORD A. DUGGER, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO FLOYD CLYMER, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

DRAIN VALVE.

Application led May 22, 1.923. Serial No. 640,698.

To all. lli/mm it may Ponce/w.:

Be it known that l, Cmrronn A. DUGGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drain Valves; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part. of this Specification.

This invention relates, in its broadest aspect, to valves and has special reference to a drain valve adapted to be secured to an automobile radiator or other liquid containing vessel for draining the same.

Radiators are usually provided with drain cocks at their lowest point, but these are so located that they are difficult to reach and it is usually necessary to crawl under the car or to assume some equally unpleasant position whenever the drain valve is to be operated, as they frequently must be during the winter season.

Certain types of automobiles are also provided with drain valves in the side of the crank casing or transmission casing. The purpose of these valves is to enable the oil level to be determined. It. is, however, exceedingly difficult to open and close these valves, as they are located underneath the car about midway between the running boards.

It is the object of this invention to produce a valve that can be secured to the bottom of a radiator or to the transmission casing and which shall be so constructed and designed that it can be opened and closed without making it necessary to crawl under the vehic1e,'assu1ne uncomfortable positions or get dirty. v

It is a further object to improve in a general way valves of this type, regardless of the specific test to which they are put.

In order to better and more clearly describe my invention, I shall have reference to the accompanying drawing in which the preferred form is shown, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a valve showing the relation of the parts, the operating handle'be'ing shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the Valve.

F'ig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the valve with respect to the radiator and the means for operating the valve; and

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the dashboard showing the keyhole-shaped opening therein.

rlhe same reference numerals will be used to designate the same parts througholit the several views.

Numeral 1 represents the radiator of an automobile and 2 designates the dashboard which is provided with keyholc-shaped opening 3.

The valve, consists of a tubular member or casing 4 whose upper end 5 is threaded so that it may be secured to the radiator' when the ordinary petcock has been removed therefrom. The valve casing has an upper chamber' (3 and a lower chamber 7 separated by a partition 8 which is provided with an opening for the valve stem 9. The upper edge oi' the chamber is chamfered for the reception of the conical valve which is ground into place so as to form a tight lit. The chamber 7 is of sulieiently large diameter to receive the helical spring 11 which is under tension and surrounds the lower end of the valve stem 9. The end of the valve stem is perforated for the reception of a key 12 which holds the washer 13 in place. A felt washer 14 rests against the bottom of the chamber 7 and is separated from the end of the spring 1l by means of a metal washer 15. The function of the felt washer is to form a packing that will prevent water from flowing down into the chamber 7 where it might freeze and render the Valve inoperative. Although the felt washer is desirable it is not essential and it, as well as the metal washer 15, may be omitted. The lower end of tubular member 4 is provided on one side with spaced lugs or ears 16 between, and to which the bell crank lever 17 is piroted. The lever 17 has an arm 18 which projects into the chamber 7 and contacts with the end of the valve stem in the manner shown in Fig. l. The long arm of lever 17 projects upwardly substantially parallel with the valve easing 4 and is provided at its end with an opening 19 to which a wire 20 (Fig. 3) may be secured. A tubular part 21 projects to the side of the casing 4 and has an opening 22 which connects with chamber 6 so that the liquid will flow outwardly through the same. It is evident that the spring 11 will tend to hold the valve closed and that the same may be opened by rotating lever 17 about its pivot in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1). The wire 20 extends from the opening 19 to and through the keyhole-shaped opening 3 in the dashboard 2. The end of the wire is provided with a ring or ball 23 which serves as a handle and is also provided with an enf largement 24 which is of such size that it wilI pass through the enlarged portion of nhole 3 but not through the narrow slotted portion thereof. A slot 25 is provided opposite the ears 16 for the purpose of i11- serting and removing the key 12.

When the valve is to be closed the parts occupy the position shown in the drawing, but when the radiator is to be drained, the dri-ver' grasps the ring 23 and pulls the enlargement 24 through the keyhole and then moves the Iwire into the slotted portion 26 whereby the parts will be held in open position.

From the above it will be evident that I have produced a valve that is especially well adapted to be employed in connection with automobile radiators and transmission casn ings, but which can also be employed for a variety of other uses. My valve is of neat appearance and is so constructed that it will automatically close, whereby all danger of accidental opening and leakage is obviated.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A valve eomprisin a casing` having a tubular chamber at eac end thereof, said chamber being separated by a partition member; a valve seat in one end of said easing; a valve in cooperative engagement with sa1d seat;` a valve stem secured to the valve and extending through one chamber through the partition and into the other chamber; a helical compression spring surrounding the valve stem; means 'secured to the valve stem for engaging said s ring; said means comprising a key exten mg through an opening 1n the stem, the lower end of t e casing havingi a notch extending upwardly from the en an outwardly extending ear on each side of said notch, an L-shaped lever, a pivot pin extendiuor through each of said ears and through the Iever at the corner thereof, the short side of said lever projecting inwardly and into contact with the lower end of the valve stem, the long side of said lever extending upwardly along the outside of the casing and normally retained in substantially parallel relation with the casing.

In a device of the class described, a motor propelled vehicle comprising a support and a radiator having an outlet; a valve controlling the outlet; and means for moving the vz ve to an open position, said means comprising an operating member having an enlargement, the support having a keyhole slot, the enlargennent being slidable in the enlarged portion of the keyhole slot, and the operating member being adapted to be received in the reduced portion of the keyhole slot when the operatmg member is moved longitudinally and then transversely, the enlargement cooperating with the support to prevent a retraction of the operating member when the operating member is lodged in the reduced portion of the slot.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CLIFFORD A. DUGGER. 

